American frontier

“Architecturally, Chinatown of the latter nineteenth century was a typical American frontier settlement, only with Chinese characters.”

Simon & Schuster: American Chinatown

“Small indications of the adventurous spirit that had taken him to the American frontier were his hobbies: he dabbled in new inventions, especially typewriters; was interested in spiritualism; was fluent in Esperanto; and was an active member of a local debating society, where he met the socialist Sydney Webb and the young George Bernard Shaw.”

Simon & Schuster: Makeshift Metropolis